What is the Digital Apprenticeship Service?
The Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) is the government’s online system for managing apprenticeship funding and training in England.
1. What is the Digital Apprenticeship Service?
The Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) is the government’s online system for managing apprenticeship funding and training in England.
From an employer’s perspective, DAS lets them:
- Set up and manage a digital apprenticeship account
- Access government funding for apprenticeship training
- Select an approved training provider
- Approve apprenticeship details and training costs
- View and manage their apprentices over time
For apprentices, DAS helps ensure that:
- Their apprenticeship is registered correctly
- Their programme, start date and planned end date are recorded
- Funding is in place so their training can go ahead as planned
As a training provider, we rely on accurate set‑up in DAS so that funding flows correctly and on time.
---
2. How South Hampshire College Group uses DAS
Internally, we use DAS to:
- Accept employer reservations / commitments for apprentices
- Create and manage cohorts linked to the correct apprenticeship standard and price
- Check and align data (learner details, start dates, planned end dates, price) with the ILR and our MIS
- Monitor employer approvals to ensure all records are confirmed in time
- Identify issues that could delay or block funding (e.g. missing approvals, incorrect prices, wrong start dates)
Correct use of DAS is directly linked to:
- Our ability to draw down funding for each apprentice
- Timely and accurate payments to the college
- Avoiding funding queries, clawbacks or compliance issues
You can see the full details on the government website, or watch this short video to understand more about the DAS and how to use it as a provider
---
3. Guiding employers: DAS account set‑up
New staff are not expected to be technical experts, but you must be confident explaining the basics and signposting employers to the right support.
When supporting an employer, you should:
- Confirm whether they already have a DAS account
- If not, explain that they will need to:
- Create a DAS account
- Add their organisation and PAYE details
- Add the main contact(s) who will approve apprenticeships
Your role is to:
- Explain why DAS matters (unlocking funding, keeping control of apprenticeships)
- Provide or signpost to our how‑to materials for employers (there are also templates in hubspot to share DAS resources with employers)
- Escalate any complex set‑up issues to the appropriate internal contact (e.g. apprenticeships operations/admin team)
---
4. Guiding employers: adding apprentices and approving cohorts
Once an employer’s account is live, our focus is on ensuring:
1. The right provider is selected (South Hampshire College Group)
2. Cohorts are created and match our records
3. Apprentices are added and approved promptly
Key points for new staff
We must encourage employers to:
1. Approve cohorts as soon as they receive them
2. Approve the price and details** for each apprentice
3. Keep their DAS account up to date if there are changes (e.g. breaks in learning, employer changes)
---
5. Link between DAS and apprenticeship funding
For each apprentice, we can only receive funding if:
- The apprenticeship record is set up correctly in DAS
- The employer has approved the details (cohort and individual learners)
- Our ILR and DAS data are aligned (learner details, start dates, prices, etc.)
If something is missing or wrong in DAS, this can result in:
- Delayed payments
- Underpayments or overpayments
- Additional administrative work to correct records
- Compliance risks in audits
Within Business Development, we:
- Understand where DAS fits in the process
- Prompt employers early and clearly about what they need to do, and by when
- Escalate issues where approvals are delayed or details do not match
---
Keeping DAS accurate and up to date is a shared responsibility. By understanding the system and guiding employers confidently, you help protect apprenticeship funding and support a smooth experience for our learners and partners.
You can sign in to your DAS account here